Roundabout
by Bard Linn
Summary: He managed to glance upwards to see the horrified look on Cloud's face mere moments before the beast's strong beak found his neck. 'I'm sorry, Cloud.' CloudxSeph Abandoned
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Sadly, they aren't mine. I really wish they were but you know how it is. Please don't sue. Then I can't buy Advent Children!

Prologue 

"You look comfortable."

"Hm…" Cloud glanced upwards at the figure looming over him, blocking the afternoon sun. "I'm not moving yet, Seph. I say we eat lunch."

Sephiroth laughed and lay down beside the blond. He leaned over to claim a kiss. "Just lunch?"

"Seph…" Cloud kissed his lover back. "Just lunch. You know we have to move if we're going to catch up."

"True." Sephiroth sighed. He glanced around the calm landscape. "It's hard to believe we're back here."

Cloud nodded in agreement. It was hard to believe they were back on Gaia, their home planet. "It looks a lot better than it used to."

"Several centuries without human influence have helped," Sephiroth concurred. Humanity had left Gaia when the Planet simply could no longer tolerate them. Humans' overuse of the world's resources had left it a dying thing. By then the space program had progressed to where humanity could evacuate. And so they had left. Sephiroth and Cloud had gone with them, though more by choice than necessity. They could survive without most of the niceties that people had depended upon at time, and the Planet would hardly hurt Cloud. By then, they had been together in almost every sense of the word, meaning the Planet was just as inclined to take care of Sephiroth as well. How they had come together was an epic in and of itself.

"It feels good." Cloud had forgotten what it felt like to have the mako so alive in his veins. It had quieted when they had left the Planet, actually sending them into brief comas until they had been able to readjust. After they had recovered they ended up moving from settlement to settlement, supporting themselves by doing various odd jobs. It had been boring at times but restful as well.

Eventually, of course, things went wrong again. Some idiot hadn't remembered the lessons of the past and had set out to create ultimate, living weapons. Luckily he hadn't experimented on humans this time. Instead he had focused on combing the traits of various animals through genetic manipulation and increasing their intelligence. In an extremely predictable accident, the creatures managed to escape, killing their creator in the process. They ravaged the settlement to the ground and took off world-hopping, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.

It hadn't taken long for the call to come in, summoning two of the best fighters in existence. It was a shame neither Sephiroth or Cloud had found out about this project earlier. They would have stopped it themselves. Instead they had followed the trail, tracking down the monsters one by one and destroying them. Now, only one remained.

And so here they were, on the planet on which it had all started.

"Tracking this thing will be difficult, considering it can fly. And there isn't anyone around we can ask."

"Actually, there is." 

"Cloud, there's been no intelligent life here for years."

"Not 'life,' exactly…" Cloud closed his eyes and dug his hand into the earth beside him, breathing deeply. It had been a long time since he had done this, but he still remembered her name. "Aeris…"

The response was immediate; the world faded to white and Sephiroth vanished. Besides him sat a familiar figure, one he hadn't seen in far too long. "Hello Cloud."

"Hello Aeris."

"It's been a long time." The Cetra smiled, gently embracing her friend. "It'll be a while more, in so many ways…"

Cloud looked at her in confusion. "Aeris?"

"Never mind. You need to go, of course. Still have your head in trouble," Aeris teased. She let go and shifted backwards. "Due north, about sixty miles. It seems to be settling down but if it moves again I'll let you know."

"Thank you, Aeris." Cloud released his mental "hold" on the Lifestream and blinked as the world slid back into existence. He looked into Sephiroth's worried face, inches from his own. "North, sixty miles."

"Don't do that again without warning me," Sephiroth growled. "You nearly stopped breathing." He stood. "Let's get this over with."

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'It just had to be the worst of them,' Cloud thought with a sigh as he finally spotted their prey. The creature had been based on the old gryphons. However, the scientist had doubled its size and added armor scales, a barbed, poisonous tail, poison claws, and several tentacles. (Whatever it was with scientists and tentacles Cloud didn't know, but he really didn't want to find out.) From the information they had been given, the blond recognized it as experiment Twenty-Six. Supposedly the most intelligent, agile and talented of the bunch. And of course, the most deadly. 

Typical.

Cloud pulled his sword free from his back, watching Sephiroth do the same out of the corner of his eye. Neither had their original blades; they had not survived the trip. It was a shame, because nothing they had found since their destruction quite measured up….

The warriors moved simultaneously, Sephiroth coming in from the left, Cloud from the right. Sephiroth managed to slice off one of the tentacles and safely summersault over the beast. Cloud hit nothing but air as it managed to dodge. 'Damn, it's fast! He couldn't remember the last time he had completely missed his target. He lunged forward again, driving the creature back towards Sephiroth. At the last moment the beast twisted wildly, evading both of their attacks. It soared high into the air, dove and landed a good distance away from the pair, digging its claws deep into the ground.

Cloud had the sudden feeling it was smirking at him.

JUMP! CLOUD, JUMP!

The blond performed the action before he even realized what had happened, startled by the sudden clamor of voices in his mind. His eyes widened in shock as the creature's form began to glow green, light flickering brightest about its paws. It was shining through a thin layer of dirt, emanating from the crystalline substance just below the surface ' Shit! We forgot about materia!' "Seph! Watch out!" the blond shouted, afraid he was already too late.

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There had been a time when Sephiroth enjoyed fights like this, doubly so when he had someone as competent as Cloud working with him. By now, however, their appeal had worn off and he would rather be home. Still, this was an important job, so they'd best get it done. Things had been going more or less as expected until just after Cloud's warning.

Energy lashed out all over the earth, blasting away the soil to reveal a solid bed of materia at least three feet thick. Sephiroth dropped to one knee, the sheer amount of power released overloading and shutting down his body. He managed to glance upwards to see the horrified look on Cloud's face mere moments before the beast's strong beak found his neck. 'I'm sorry, Cloud.'

The pain didn't last long. Slowly his vision cleared and he found himself standing beside his body, which was quickly decomposing into dust. A bitter smile twisted his lips; apparently Franklin had been right. Their souls had kept their bodies in their current condition rather than the other way around. 'I'm dead.' The thought didn't seem real some how.

"SEPH!" Sephiroth whipped his head around toward the oddly echoing sound. Cloud was staring at the place Sephiroth's body had lain, clearly distraught, but Sephiroth was glad his lover, at least, had managed to survive the attack. "You…" Cloud's eyes blazed brighter than Sephiroth had seen in a very long time. Light flickered about the blond's sword: the power of the Planet. Sephiroth's stomach clenched. Cloud had not done this in a very long time... and the last time had nearly killed him.

"You will not get away!" Boosted by the Planet's immense energy reserves, Cloud matched the monster move for move, slicing off limbs as he went. He didn't come out unscathed, however; the creature got in more than a few hits with its poisoned claws and tail. But there really never was any chance for it. All too soon its carcass lay on the materia bed. Exhausted both outside and within from his wounds and the channeling, Cloud collapsed next to it, an odd smile on his face. "See you soon, Seph."

Sephiroth sighed. He wished Cloud had survived but knew it was selfish to do so. Still, at least they would be together; that was what really mattered.

"Sephiroth."

The warrior stiffened at his name, turning slowly to see a familiar figure standing beside him. "Miss Gainsborough," Sephiroth cautiously greeted. The last Cetra had never spoken to him in all of his sane years, though she had often appeared to Cloud before they had left the Planet. "I believe I owe you an apology."

The spirit shook her head. "Your actions after your resurrection far outweigh the harm you did at Jenova's bidding, and the joy you have given Cloud over the years is far more important than anything else. All other repentance is secondary. I require no recompense for the injury you gave me." She smiled. "Now, I believe there is someone who's been waiting to see you for some time." The Ancient vanished and Sephiroth felt a familiar presence behind him.

"Clou-- Zack." Sephiroth stopped short, shock washing over him. When had he last thought of the SOLDIER who had served under him, and more importantly, had been his first friend?

"Hello, Seph," Zack greeted him softly. An uncomfortable silence fell between the pair. Sephiroth could imagine why. What had Zack thought of his relationship with Cloud? The pair had been close, he knew… and things became even more complicated when one considered what had happened between them. Finally, he could take it no longer, the question slipping out of him before he could stop it.. "Where's Cloud?"

Zack gave his friend a long, deep look. "Don't you know?"

It should be noted that MOST OF THIS CHAPTER DOESN'T MATTER AT ALL. Really, I just needed to kill them so most of this exposition is pointless. There are a few little interesting things in here that will pop up again but they're mentioned in one line. Also, I totally skipped over how Seph and Cloud got together. That's because it REALLY isn't important to this story. Another relationship formation is but that would be telling. ;)

Also: If Seph and Cloud are too happy they've had a long time to adjust and lots of help to do it.

This is my secondary major project at the moment My first is still Butterfly Effect with kiraya, link to which can be found on my favorites page.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Still not mine. No sueth please!

Chapter 1

This couldn't be happening.

Cloud stared in shock as Sephiroth's body sank slowly to the ground and the creature flashed over to his fallen lover's side. Their eyes met briefly before the sickening crack of Sephiroth's neck being snapped sounded through the air. Even as he watched, the body of his friend turned to dust. "SEPH!"

Rage flooded through him, a kind of madness cause by loss and a feeling of aloneness. Compounding it was the shattering of the bond forged by Hojo years ago that had only strengthened with time. He didn't care anymore; all that mattered was vengeance. "You…" He remembered how to do this too, though he hadn't in so long. Last time, he had nearly died… but concern for his own safety never even crossed his thoughts. Cloud seized the power beneath his feet and yanked it into his mind. The energy of the Planet was bright and powerful; he could not contain it.

He didn't want to.

The power flowed over his sword, ripping through him. "You will not get away!" He adjusted his stance and flashed forward, his sword making quick work of the beast. It lashed out, catching Cloud with his claws and fatally poisoning him.

Cloud did not feel it.

The sword cut into the beast's flesh, spilling hot blood to the ground and drenching the warrior.

Cloud did not feel it.

Tears ran down Cloud's face as the beast at last crashed to the ground, its life expended.

Cloud did not feel them.

The blond collapsed to the ground, lying beside his defeated enemy. He was dying, and knew it… but the thought brought him only joy. It had been a very long trip and he was glad to finally go home. "See you soon, Seph." His body felt very heavy. Cloud closed his eyes and felt his soul separate from his body. 

PAIN

Cloud gasped and let out a scream. How could he hurt this much after he was dead? The pain only increased, becoming more powerful by the second.He felt as if he were being twisted in two, yanked in opposite directions. Suddenly, one force let go and he found himself flying towards some unknown destination. Unable to handle the strain, he lost consciousness.

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Cloud groaned, suddenly aware that his entire body ached with pain. He blinked his eyes open slowly, trying to remember what he had done to get himself in this state. Normally the mako would have handled this, especially if he was asleep.

Then he remembered.

'Gods, Seph…' Cloud felt his grief overtake him like a wave. Not only had the other man been his lover but Sephiroth had also been the one constant in the blond's life. Now he was adrift without any anchor.

But how had he survived? Without help, he should have died… and no one was on the Planet to save him. Even so, all of Cloud's senses told him he was in a hospital bed. The general feeling of these types of rooms hadn't changed, even in all of these years. And with how often he'd needed to use them in the past, Cloud had become something of an expert in hospital furnishings.

Still, the doctors here couldn't cure the worst of his wounds. He closed his eyes again and poked the bond that had once tied him to Sephiroth. Like picking a scab, he couldn't help but prolong his own misery…

Except the bond wasn't broken.

If Cloud had been standing, he would have fallen over. Weaker, yes, and it felt twisted, strange, but it was still there, and that meant Sephiroth was… alive.

But he had seen Sephiroth die before his very eyes! What was going on here?

Slowly the warrior began to take stock of himself, noting how odd his body felt. Still, it didn't worry him; he had felt this before. It was normal after being separated from his body for some time. He needed to pull himself together as quickly as possible to find out what had happened and meet back up with Sephiroth.

"Sinclair!" A rough hand shook his shoulder. Without thinking, Cloud reached over and grabbed the offending appendage. "I'd suggest you let go, if you don't want to lose your arm. You're in enough trouble as it is."

Cloud barely heard a word the man said. His eyes settled on the insignia adorning the man's sleeve, his heart nearly stopping at the sight. No one had used that image for years. Cloud and Sephiroth had worked for decades to completely wipe out every trace of ShinRa, including the logo.

So why was it here, wherever 'here' was?

"Oy! SINCLAIR!"

Cloud blinked as the man said the name again. He definitely knew it, though he couldn't remember where he had heard it…

"Is there a problem? We expected you some time ago."

"Sinclair's being uncooperative."

Cloud had to stop himself from staring at the figure that had entered the room. The distinctive uniform, unforgettable glowing eyes, and most importantly, the unique mental echo caused by mako exposure were all present. This man had to be a SOLDIER.

But that was impossible! He and Sephiroth were the only SOLDIERs left in existence. This had to be a trick. Blue eyes narrowed. "Who are you?" The sound of his own voice startled him, so different from what he recalled. Had his vocal cords been damaged?

The figure frowned. "You don't know who I am?"

"No."

"Do you recognize him?" The SOLDIER pointed to the man who had attempted to wake him. Cloud shook his head. "Either you're lying or…." The man turned and gestured to his subordinate. "Go find the doctor. I want him looked at again." The SOLDIER left for a moment and then returned, carrying a small object. "Recognize yourself?"

Cloud took the mirror carefully, mentally rolling his eyes. Of course he would recognize himself; he had looked the same for more years than this imposter had been alive. He turned the mirror upwards, peering into the small reflective surface.

Only through great force of will was he able to hold back the scream that came to his lips as he saw the face of his dead best friend.

So. Anyone confused? 3

Remember, free time x writer's motivation x expressed reader interest more fic!


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Sadly, they aren't mine. I really wish they were but you know how it is. Please don't sue. Then I can't buy Advent Children!

Many thanks to **zalia** and **kiraya** for betaing this chapter too! sends love to both

Chapter 2

Cloud started at the image before him, not quiet believing what he saw. A hand crept up to touch his face and the figure in the mirror mimicked the motion. The warrior shuddered, unfamiliar eyes peering back at him. How was this possible? It looked like he was in Zack's body, but how could that be? Zack's body had long ago fallen to dust outside of Midgar.

Then again, he appeared to be in Midgar, or at least a ShinRa building, yet another unbelievable thing. The only possible explanation was time travel, which Cloud knew was impossible. Franklin, among others, had given them both lectures on that little topic.

Trying to organize his thoughts, the blond stumbled upon a rather important question. If he was in Zack's body, where was Zack?

"Well, Sinclair?"

Luckily Cloud was saved from having to answer the question by the doctor's appearance. It was possibly the only time he had ever been grateful to see a figure clad in a lab coat. Which, considering his history, wasn't very surprising. After a series of tests the doctor gave his prognosis to the SOLDIER. "He's well enough to return to duty, Commander Jackson. I don't see anything to cause memory loss, though some of his brain activity has altered. I'll have to check with my colleagues." He turned to Cloud. "I want you back here in two weeks for a recheck. Contact me immediately if your memory begins to return."

The SOLDIER – Jackson – nodded. "Michael, see to it that Sinclair is resettled into your unit and fill him in on the details. You'll receive his file as well. I'm charging you with his safety until this matter is resolved."

"Yes sir," Michael replied, looking rather irritated by the order. He turned to Cloud. "Move it, Sinclair."

Sinclair…Cloud remember now, that _had_ been Zack's last name. As he followed Michael out he tried to recall more about his friend. It was difficult, as he had to watch exactly where he was stepping, this unfamiliar body feeling horribly clumsy and likely to fall flat on his face at any moment. Silently the youth considered the situation. He didn't have many choices at the moment. These people truly thought he was Zack, so he had better act accordingly. The truth would hardly be believable. "Hi, I'm a time traveler from I-forget-how-many-millions-of-years in the future and I'm currently possessing one of your SOLDIERs. Nice to meet you!" Except Zack wasn't a SOLDIER. Not yet, anyway. The eyes in the mirror had lacked that telltale glow.

It was odd to think of Zack as anything other than the strong officer he had been when Cloud had met him. Still, in light of recent occurrences it was comparatively undisturbing, so Cloud let it pass over him without much thought.

The warrior focused inwardly, dragging up his memories from long ago, trying to remember how Zack had acted. The friendly grin, confident walk, self-assured aura. They were quintessential Zack and extremely familiar. Had Cloud not worn them once before? Like a well-worn cloak Cloud allowed the motions to fall over him. It was sad, but even after all of these years he could still easily slip on the mask of Zack. "Sorry about what happened back there. Reflex, you know." Michael stared at him, a look of shock on his face, then headed off down the hall as quickly as possible without running. Cloud frowned and followed him.

The trooper barracks matched Cloud's memory, though considering the accommodations Cloud had been hoping otherwise. (And why wasn't Zack in a SOLDIER candidate group anyway?) What was different was the way the rest of the troops acted around him. When Cloud had been a trooper he'd basically faded into the woodwork, completely ignored by his companions. Here, the animosity prevalent in the air nearly made him flinch. Eyes landed on him and then slid away. Backs were presented instead of smiles, and glares heavy with anger and tainted with fear were shot his way when people thought he couldn't see. 

What the hell was going on? This group acted nothing like what Cloud had observed when he watched Zack interact with people. 

"Well, well, well. Looks like the deceased has returned to the world of the living. Maybe we should send you back to the morgue."

Cloud glanced over his shoulder to look at the teen who had spoken. The youth was standing in an undeniably menacing fashion. Zack wasn't small, but this youth somehow managed to tower over Cloud and was practically bulging with muscles. Cloud didn't get a chance to protest before the teen lashed out, fist solidly connecting with the arm Cloud had instinctively raised. He winced, surprised by the pain. '_Damn, that hurt._' Zack's body obviously wasn't in the shape he was used to, which could cause all sorts of problems. Cloud didn't know what this body could handle, but he'd best find out, and quickly. "Look, I don't know what your problem is- "

"Ha! That's a laugh." The teen smirked then lashed out again. Cloud blocked two punches and a kick before Michael finally spoke up.

"He's not lying, Armstrong." The private gave Cloud a dirty look. "He has total amnesia."

"You're shitting me," Armstrong growled. Cloud ducked another attack, careful not to let Armstrong get a hold of him. He might just end up dead, then, and he hardly wanted that to happen. 'Cloud Strife, killed by regular ShinRa regular' just didn't seem quite right, even if he had only been a private himself when he managed to kill Sephiroth the first time.

"No," Michael replied. "We're supposed to reacquaint him with the system."

"Yeah right. That bastard? I've had enough of him in my life." Armstrong took another step forward. Cloud quickly found himself running out of room in the cramped quarters as he dashed backwards.

"Look, Armstrong, I don't like Sinclair any more than you do, but taking him apart here will only get us all in trouble. Lay off."

The teen glared at Cloud and Michael for a long moment then moved to the opposite side of the room. Cloud mentally sighed in relief then turned to Michael. "Who was that?"

"Tomas Armstrong. He doesn't like you."

"I noticed. Any reason why?"

"Cause you're a country hick from the middle of nowhere who acts like you're better than everyone else here. Stealing his girlfriend and getting her pregnant probably didn't help either, especially since the girl didn't survive the pregnancy."

Cloud felt the blood rush from his – er, Zack's – face. "Miscarriage?" He finally managed to ask.

"Hell no. At least, I've never heard of a case where miscarriage involved getting a knife in your heart." Michael smirked, taking no small joy in Cloud's expression. "No one ever managed to successfully pin it on you, but Armstrong always believed you did it. Guess we'll never know now, huh?"

Cloud nodded weakly, unable to think of anything to say. 

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Cloud quickly found out first hand exactly how much his squad hated him. Over the next few days he found himself the victim of several pranks of the more serious nature. His bed was saturated with a potion that ate away at his skin. Itching powder was rubbed into all of his uniforms. People tried to trip him in the hallway, and went through his supplies before duty, trying to make him unprepared. He quickly learned to keep his most valuable possessions on his person or else he'd lose them permanently.

His superior officers did nothing, even when some of these pranks happened right in front on them, willfully ignoring the bullying.

But for Cloud there was something even more important bothering him. Michael had taken to gleefully describing "his" old life, detailing Zack's exploits. The tales made Cloud's stomach twist in revulsion. He had seen a lot of bad things in his long life, some far more horrifying than what he was hearing, but these stories were about the man who had been his _best friend_. Suddenly the warrior was forced to reevaluate everything he had ever though about Zack. How could the kind, gentle, fun-loving man who had looked out for him when he had been in ShinRa have _done_ these things?

The training area quickly became Cloud's lone refuge. He spent every free minute he had there, trying to get Zack's body into shape so he could defend himself. His squad mates wouldn't bother him here; everyone knew the gym was not a place for horse-hockey. People had been banned from the army entirely for pulling stunts there.

Instructors overseeing the place had noted Cloud's dedication and had reacted accordingly, teaching him beyond his squad mates. Cloud responded with yet even more effort, gaining his teachers' praises. (Some had even mentioned it might be a good idea to send more of the problem students into near death-comas if this was the result.) Slowly the pranks tapered off wherever one of the instructors would be able to see, giving Cloud a bit more breathing room.

Cloud's two week check-up came and went without any significant discoveries. The doctor, whose name Cloud had finally learned was Kyle Mendak, said nothing, but asked Cloud to return a month later. Finally, seven months after Cloud first arrived in Zack's body, something happened that finally gave Cloud some answers – and more questions. 

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Cloud didn't understand the necessity of these monthly check-ups, but he went without complaint. Dr. Mendak's tests were nothing like the ones Hojo had used, which was a mild comfort. He didn't like it, but Cloud knew how to deal with it. Mendak had mentioned Zack had taken permanent brain damage, but Cloud wondered if that was the entire truth. Surely if he'd had brain damage he would have needed therapy? 

"I trust you have not been able to remember anything?" 

"No," Cloud replied, sitting on his temper. Must Mendak ask the same question every time? It was getting more than a little annoying.

"Hm…" Mendak frowned at the screen in front of him, examining an image mapping Cloud's brain activity. Cloud sat up as he heard the door open.

A young nurse walked in, carrying a thick folder. "Doctor, we have- " She paused, her eyes landing on Cloud. "You- that's not possible, you're _dead_!"

Cloud stared at the woman, slightly perturbed. "Nurse Alexander, please." Mendak frowned at her. "There is no need to alarm my patient-"

"I _saw_ him die!" Alexander continued, her eyes widening. "I marked it down on the records myself! He was clinically dead for over fifteen minutes!" 

"Nurse Talia Alexander, this is not the place for this discussion." Mendak frowned and glanced over at Commander Johnson, who had been accompanying Cloud on these visits. The SOLDIER nodded and the trio went to the next room. Cloud frowned, watching them. Luckily for him, they had chosen a room with a window in the door. It was sound proof, but Cloud could see Mendak perfectly.

And while Zackary Sinclair might not know how to read lips, Cloud Strife most certainly _did_.

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"What exactly is going on here, Doctor?" Jackson asked, pinning the man with a sharp look.

"I told you Sinclair's brain patterns had altered substantially." Jackson nodded in confirmation. "I thought I had seen similar patterns before. It took me a while to find them, but I did manage to get my hands on them. In conjunction with Sinclair's recent increase in abilities, I managed to formulate a hypothesis. Sadly I have not been able to confirm it one way or another."

"Cut to the chase, Mendak," Jackson growled.

The doctor merely glared at the officer. "I'm sure you're aware that the SOLDIER program wasn't the only attempt to create enhanced warriors. Some of the others included different drugs, even materia. One of these dealt with trying to fuse summons with human beings. There were very few successes and I use that term lightly. Most went insane or instantly died. A few fused with lesser summons survived, but generally lost most of their memory or personality, both that of the human and that of the summon. Indeed, they became a new person. Sinclair's readings are consistent with that type of result."

Jackson stared at the doctor. "You're telling me some entity from the beyond went and possessed Sinclair?"

"Not possessed. As Nurse Alexander mentioned, Sinclair was dead for over fifteen minutes.Assuming his soul somehow managed to re-enter the body, I think it is obvious from the boy's actions that it is _not_ same personality as before. If Sinclair were still around at the time the spirit took over, I believe it is safe to say he was completely destroyed."

"And this sort of thing just happens by accident."

"Sinclair was attacked in the main materia storage area," the doctor pointed out. "If I recall correctly there were more than a few of the stones on the floor when your men found him."

The SOLDIER continued to look doubtful. "Still, resurrecting a dead body? Especially one dead for that long?"

Mendak smiled; Jackson shivered, recognizing the look that often graced Professor Hojo's face. "That was considered one of the most effect methods." The doctor turned to his nurse. "Do not mention this to anyone." Talia nodded and said nothing. She wasn't stupid; she knew that to mess in ShinRa's secrets could easily mean death. "Now, whatever else that boy is, he is physically human, or close enough that the differences don't appear on any of our instruments. However, it is rather obvious that he will be an extraordinary warrior."

"Indeed," Jackson replied, understanding Mendak's implication. "I believe Sinclair will be receiving an invitation to take the SOLDIER exams soon."

"It would be a shame to overlook such an opportunity, would it not?"

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Cloud made certain that his face only showed mild irritation and curiosity when the group emerged from the nearby room, even though his head was spinning. He nodded at the doctor and offered Jackson a textbook-perfect salute after being dismissed before wandered out into the hallway. He could barely make sense of the thoughts crowding his mind.

Okay, point one: Mendak thought he was really a summon inhabiting someone else's body, which wasn't actually too far off from the truth, in a way. Cloud wasn't sure if he qualified as a summon, but he did recall Franklin mentioning both his and Sephiroth's souls had significant differences from that of the average human, as did Cloud's. Still, the main question was how did he end up getting here in the first place?

Silently, Cloud wished the man was here; Franklin always did have a knack for figuring things like this out.

Point two: Cloud inhabited the body of Zackary Sinclair, who apparently wasn't a very nice guy. This did not match up with what Cloud knew of the man who had been his mentor and friend from his days in the ShinRa army. Perhaps more disturbing than the question of how Cloud had gotten here was the question of where Zack had gone. If he really was dead as Mendak believed, then who had Cloud known?

Point three: Cloud could expect a chance to take the SOLDIER exams soon. He didn't know exactly how to feel about that. On one hand, he had failed the exams before but he certainly should be able to pass them now if he tried. On the other, it hardly seemed fair for him to pass the exam for someone _else_. But history said Zackary Sinclair was a SOLDIER. Which lead to the next important fact.

Point four: Cloud was currently stranded in the past, despite everything he had heard about that being impossible. So far he had been merely trying to stay in once piece, but as his abilities continued to improve, the rest of his squad had taken to leaving him alone. Armstrong was the only one who tormented him on a regular basis anymore and even he was wary of what Cloud could do. So now that he wasn't watching for death threats every two minutes, he had to ask himself a critical question: what should he do next? Should he try to change the future?

Cloud shook his head, long black locks flying about. He was in way over his head.

"Sinclair. You look like someone died."

Cloud glanced at Michael. The only person in his entire unit who would even work with him at all, Jean Michael had ended up being his sparring partner in practice. Michael had quickly seen Cloud's improving skills and stuck to his fellow regular's side even after Jackson told him Cloud wasn't his responsibility anymore, willing to gather up any scraps of knowledge Cloud dropped. It was purely a business relationship. Michael didn't like Cloud and Cloud wasn't overly fond of Michael, but both knew it and that made life all right. Cloud needed a sparring partner anyway. "Just have a lot on my mind."

The pair headed towards the gym, each lost in his own thoughts. Cloud found himself having a hard time hearing as a low buzz began to ring in his head. He walked over to the practice equipment and suited up, all the while trying to figure out what in the world was bothering him. This felt familiar, but he couldn't place the buzzing.

Michael had taken his place on the practice mat, but he wasn't looking at Cloud. His eyes were fixed on a point far beyond the regular, starting at something Cloud couldn't see. Cloud turned slowly, the buzzing becoming almost painful in pitch, making him want to clap his hands over his ears, if only to shut out the noise. Blinking tears out of his eyes the warrior squinted then felt his jaw drop. "Sephiroth…."

Lots of B5 name references in here. ducks assorted weapons Okay, don't kill me! hides from Zack!Fans It'll be okay, honest! dashes for the hills


End file.
